The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-11-19

Trip West.-Got LOst.-A ShsriT Oufnit-
ted.-Sickness IN Peoria--High Price Q
Olinine-Loce at Sight, dc, dc.
Among the early business enterprises
started in Ottawa when she was in her in
fancy WAS G. L. Thompsons Drug Store. II
is our purpose TO say something Of the vel
known proprietor Of that old-nme establish
ment.
GEORGE l.. THOMPSON
Was born near Hamilton, Madison county,
NY, in August 1915. His father WAS John
Thompson. possibly Of English descent, hui
he had been 80 long resident Of the Mo
hawk Valley that he was considered full
fedged mohawk Dutchman." His mother
was Sarah Williams, whose father was sol
der of the revolution, and in his old days
odd and jolly. He carried n glass cane,
filled with little somethin' to brace up the
nerves. He would take sip now and then
when on his walks about the country, and
when his gun was empty would reload, just
as he did in the army, only then he didn't
shoot himself, but the other fellow! G. L s.
father WAS q carder Of WOOL a dyer and n
cloth dresser, and also kept u siw.mill. In
those days there were no wooden factories
The farmers Of that neighborhood clipped
their sheep and took the wool to Thompson's g.,
where il was carded into rolls then it was
taken home, where the "women folks" spun
and wove it. Afterwards it was returned to
Thompson's, where it was dressed and dyed
if the wool had not been previously colored,
and then it was ready for use.
HoAE-sPuN FASHIONS.
The spinning wheel and the loom were
as much q part Of the furniture Of every
house in those days as tho bed and bake
oven. These articles we're q part of the
young wifes dover and went with the old
mans will. The hum Of the spinning wheel
and the rattle of the loom were the music of
every household. The banging of the piano
and the squalling Of the young lady, in the
vain attempt to reach thigh c." were then
hidden in the mysteries Of the future
Mother and the girls wore "linsey woolsey,'
wide soled shoes, high. necked dresses,
creased their hair with "bear's ile," and
wore nets over. it to keep the flies away.
They never allowed their waists to be
squeezed by anything save the arm Of their
best "feller,' and that, too, not until he had
popped the all.important "pop" and been
accepted. And the young gentlemen rugged
themselves mashingly in "butternut cloth"
or Kentucky jeans" wore wammus, i. C.,
jacket reaching a little below the hips, pro-
vided with sleeves yaller or red shirt,
outer covering Of defunct coon in winter,
and big strong shoes possessed clear con.
science, plenty of Drawn and vim, and were
the boys who subsequently became the farm.
ers, lawyers, doctors, judges, merchants,
the pioneers Of the Great West.
EARLY TINES.
@. L. Thompson lived about home till the
age Of 10, and was the first to break ranks
in his fathers family Of four sons and six
daughters. At that age he left the old home
After having learned the trade Of carder of
wool, dyer of wool, wooden yarn and cloths
generally, he decided to become tailor, and
served five years at that trade and was hon.
orably discharged. With his "diploma" in
his pocket he went to New York City, where
he managed to get, or complete, a fair com.
mon school education-a far better one than
he could possibly have acquired in the region
of his old home
ANARCHIsM.
Strange as it may seem, anarchists are no
new element in the political elements of this
country. During the two years Of his so.
journ in Gotham rows and mobs, violence
and bloodshed were frequent The anarchist
in those days was much the same turbulent,
unreasoning, bloody minded fanatic that he
is now, only there was not quite 80 many of
uImb anu ut was not III 1000 encouraged by
novel reading lack. "a daisical women, and
feather-braned. sef-styled editors of alleged
newspapers, as he is at present. A mob of
anarchists in those days boycotted -four
store because it would not give them bread
for almost nothing. They would not allow
any Of their members to visit il and threat
ened dire punishment upon all others who
traded there. Then, finding this scheme
would not work, they sacked the building
Quilted it completely, ana with the contents
completely blockaded Greenwich street for
hours, thus wasting hundreds of barrels and
sacks of food fora principlei No; they
had none-nothing but the bulldog instinct
Of destruciiveness.
THE GREAT FIRE
In the winter Of 1866 occurred the
greatest fire that has ever visited New York
City, destroying everything from the Battery
to Maiden Lane. A famine followed, and the
red flag announcing sherif's sales was seen
on every street. Business men, from the